A sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. The bible is a manual that shows us the correct way of life and it is the written instruction of the Lord.
What happens when we believers (who clearly know right from wrong) deliberately keep doing that which we know displeases God?
We are God’s children, His priests, His image, His bride and yet there are times wherein we put our own personal pleasure above the desires of God.
1 John 3:4
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
God gave us various commandments which can be found in the bible and these can be seen as biblical law. Whenever we go against His commandments, we’re breaking the biblical law bestowed upon us and therefore we’re committing sin.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We all know the concept of punishment after breaking a man-made law. This concept was inspired by the bible where throughout time God always punished those who broke His law.
This verse here doesn’t mean one dies physically after committing a sin rather it refers to the spiritual death we go through after breaking the law of Christ.
Once we sin, we’re separated from the presence of the Holy one and are disconnected from Him. We also become vulnerable to dangers. Jesus Christ died on the cross for us giving us eternal life for free, so those who keep trusting in Him, following Him and doing His will are able to enjoy His free gift of eternal life.
What then happens when we intentionally break His law?
- We insult the grace of God upon our lives
Romans 6:15-17
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!
16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.
We have an underserving grace of God upon our lives but this doesn’t mean it is okay for us to continue living in sin. As humans (of the flesh) sin is a natural thing BUT whenever we sin, we should go to our Father and genuinely ask for forgiveness. After doing that the next step would be to avoid making the same mistake.
It isn’t wise to think we can commit whatever sin we want because we are saved by grace. This will only incur the wrath of God upon our lives. - We risk severe judgement from God
Hebrews 10:26-31
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
God is a merciful God who forgives no matter how many times we sin but when we deliberately commit sin and feel entitled to His mercy and grace we risk punishment from God. There are many examples in the bible of men close to God’s heart who were punished for the sins they committed even though they still made it to heaven.
e.g.
Moses didn’t get to see the promised land
Mariam got leprosy
Samson lost his sight
Saul lost his kingdom
Eli the priest lost his two sons and his own life
…
So there are repercussions to the sins we commit let alone the deliberate ones which are seen as rebellion in God’s sight. - We disrespect the blood of the covenant
Hebrews 10:29
How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
Jesus Christ died on the cross to wash us clean from all our sins and through the blood He shed we are saved. Whenever we choose to sin, we also choose to disregard the sacrifice He made for us.
Imagine proclaiming your love for someone but at the same time you continuously do the things that hurt them and you don’t appreciate the sacrifice they made for you. We call this a toxic relationship, a red flag…and yet we do this every time to the one who is supposed to be our greatest companion.
Not only is it an insult to God the Father who sacrificed His son for us, it is also a sin to God the Son who suffered for our sake and God the Hoy Spirit who cannot dwell in the darkness of our hearts. - We are destroying God’s temple
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
Every room, space or building that is important to a person or a group of people is normally kept clean. As the bible says our body is a temple of God and thus this should also be kept clean.
Sin is unclean, impure and filthy no matter how big or small it is. When dirt/dust accumulates over time it becomes a hindrance and a health hazard.
We should keep ourselves clean to glorify the name of the Lord instead of intentionally dirtying a holy place. The Holy Spirit does not dwell in dirty places and this is why we find it difficult to connect with God when we’re living in sin for God will not partake in uncleanness. - We risk eternal death
2 Thessalonians 1:5-9
5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you
7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
I believe the bible is very clear here.
Are we saved by the grace of God once we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior? Yes.
Does this mean when we sin it will go unpunished? No.
There is no checklist on sin and the appropriate punishment that goes along with it. God is the one who decides who is still worthy of His grace and who isn’t.
The best way for us to avoid eternal death (burning in the lake of fire for eternity) is to follow the word of God the best way we can. Do not compromise His word, to not make interpretations that are not in alignment with the Spirit of God and try as much as possible to stay away from sin. The rest is in the hands of God.
As I mentioned in the beginning, we are humans and are bound to make mistakes but once the Holy Spirit who still dwells within us cautions us when we make mistakes and we obediently listen and repent, the grace of God will abundantly embrace us.
Stay Blessed x
2 responses to “Pending Dangers of Intentional sin”
Great message. I think sometimes as humans we try to justify mistakes and percieve that God will give us a pass or forgive when we ask after deliberately sinning. But this message clearly states why this is wrong and punishable. Thank you for the message.
Yes indeed. His love and grace is sufficient for us all but if we truly love Him in return, we should try to stay away from sin as much as possible instead of taking advantage of His mercy. God bless you.